Iuze Mukube
Anti-Corruption Commission’s chief investigation officer Oberty Inambao told the court that some of the accused in the Namcor fraud and corruption scandal used proxies or third parties to receive benefits on their behalf.
He made this remark during Namcor’s ex-manager Cedric Willemse’s ongoing formal bail application in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court this week.
Inambao stated that even though some of the accused did not directly benefit from the alleged transactions, he contended that they made use of proxies to conceal their involvement.
This links them to the corruption and fraud charges surrounding Namcor.
Inambao pointed out that investigations uncovered that, while the entity Quality Meat Supplies was owned by a certain Helen Iitana, the beneficial owner was someone else.
Its address was not found as listed on the business registration document
He stated that, as far as the beneficial ownership documentation or registration was concerned, fugitive Victor Simaneka Malima was the beneficial owner of the entity.
He explained that a beneficial owner is the name which appear on the founding document, who is the ultimate beneficiary of the proceeds that the business is making.
Therefore, Inambao said that the individual whose name the entity is listed or registered is most probably just a proxy, because the ultimate person receiving the incentives and the rewards from the business profits as the beneficial owner was Malema.
He centered the case on being an organised crime, as there were descriptions on certain bank statements that were there to disguise the true origin of funds.
He stated that, between 6 November and 18 December 2022, Willemse received at least over N$1.1 million that was deposited in cash from the entities implicated in the case, which also established that the entities were related.
So, whether it was an advance or just a favour, Willemse was still creating or receiving gratification, as there is evidence that these entities were paying him.
Inambao added that even if there are no other payments that can be connected or linked, evidence suggests that immediately after purchase orders were approved, payments were made by these entities to Willemse.
“So, that is the beauty about corruption because it does not carry an ordinary meaning but a technical meaning in a sense that, even if we are not able to prove that Willemse received this money that day, gratification was created,” he said.
He further told the court that the oil-rot case is a complex one involving money laundering comprising of assets that were acquired with some of the proceeds from the funds implicated.
Inambao added that some of the money had left the country and was repatriated to South Africa. He said multiple transactions and individuals are involved – not just one – which makes it complex.
“These are not two or three charges where people have been charged with this or that. We are talking about at least $400 million that has been lost,” said Inambao.
Photo: Heather Erdmann